Dolphins' Terron Armstead injured, plus stock up, stock down

HOUSTON — Miami Dolphins four-time Pro Bowl left tackle Terron Armstead left the team’s Thursday joint practice with the Texans in Houston with an apparent right leg injury.

Armstead was in on the first offensive snap of team drills against the Houston defense, when he went to the ground after a Texans defender was blocked into his legs on a running play to his side.

Armstead limped, was examined on the side for several minutes and eventually carted inside to Texans facilities.

After practice, Armstead was seen using crutches to get back onto a cart that would escort him away. That was minutes after he tweeted a video of himself walking without crutches.

He later released a statement on Twitter about his injury: “Got landed on during team run in practice today! Things like that happens in the trenches! We just get up and get back to work! And that’s what I do! Mindset on Week 1.”

According to NFL Network, which reported it was a lower leg injury for Armstead, no surgery will be necessary and he’ll work to be ready for Week 1, when the Dolphins visit the Los Angeles Chargers on Sept. 10.

Thanks for the love and support! 💙 always! pic.twitter.com/dhthJaH2dO

— T. Stead 🎤🎧 (@T_Armstead72) August 17, 2023

Dolphins teammates were optimistic about Armstead’s outlook after Thursday’s practice in Houston.

“I think it’s not serious,” wide receiver Tyreek Hill said. “I’m sure he’ll shake back.”

He added a funny anecdote: “As soon as it happened, I went up to him. I said, ‘You straight?’ He said, ‘Yeah, I’m straight, man. I’m just old.’

“Terron is a huge part of our team, and I feel like he’s more important than I am.”

Tyreek Hill said Terron Armstead, who left today’s practice with injury, told him he’s good and just old 😂 pic.twitter.com/rnH1o8WIIP

— David Furones (@DavidFurones_) August 17, 2023

Said right guard Robert Hunt: “Hopefully he’s OK. We all know how important he is to this team, to this offensive line. Hopefully it’s nothing too serious.”

In his first season in Miami, Armstead missed four games and played through various injuries in games he was available for. He battled toe, knee, pectoral and hip ailments. The toe injury was at the root, sustained in the 2022 opener, but he also had a procedure done on a knee in the offseason.

Over Armstead’s previous six seasons with the New Orleans Saints, he averaged 5 ½ games missed during those seasons.

He had been on a maintenance program throughout training camp, but he was in line to get two consecutive days of team drills in joint practices against the Texans on Thursday after participating in Wednesday’s session.

“I’m still getting ready,” Armstead said following his participation in Wednesday drills. “I don’t feel like I’m fully ready yet for the regular season, but we don’t have a game yet. Still working through that process. Trying to get more reps to get more game-ready and get my body feeling optimal. Just get it as good as possible to go out and play some ball.”

Armstead wasn’t the only Dolphins player injured Thursday. Players from both teams watched with a knee on the ground as Miami nose tackle Brandon Pili was attended to for several minutes as he lay on the ground.

Pili, an undrafted rookie out of USC making noise for a potential roster spot as a reserve defensive lineman, was then walked over to a tent on the sideline for further examination. He was seen pointing to the back of his head and neck and then walked off with trainers.

Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa bounced back from a two-interception practice in Wednesday drills against the Texans, going without an interception Thursday, finding Hill multiple times downfield, hitting Braxton Berrios deep for about 50 yards and making another impressive back-shoulder throw to Erik Ezukanma. …

Tagovailoa had two fourth-down conversions in a two-minute drill, scrambling for one and finding receiver River Cracraft on an in-breaking route at the sticks for another. …

Edge rusher Jaelan Phillips had another fine practice with one sure practice sack in red-zone drills and at least one other pressure where the play could’ve been whistled down for a sack but was allowed to continue. He was also seen on a solid run stuff to start team drills. …

Skylar Thompson also had downfield completions to Hill, but he was also intercepted by cornerback Desmond King II in seven-on-seven action. Thompson found rookie tight end Elijah Higgins for a 12-yard touchdown in red-zone seven-on-seven. …

Quarterback Mike White connected with undrafted tight end Julian Hill for a pair of seven-on-seven touchdowns in the red zone that looked nearly identical over the middle. He also was intercepted by cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. in the period. …

Running back Raheem Mostert appears active on dumpoffs and other short passes. He’s a candidate to catch plenty of balls out of the backfield this season. …

Along with Phillips, Raekwon Davis and Duke Riley had sacks. Linebacker David Long Jr. had a good-looking tackle for loss on Texans running back Devin Singletary, a former FAU standout. …

Cornerback Eli Apple was beat on a deep post by receiver Nico Collins in the team setting where no safety help was seen over the top. …

Kader Kohou blankets Steven Sims 1-on-1 to force incompletion deep. pic.twitter.com/hJ5MJAgD1S

— David Furones (@DavidFurones_) August 17, 2023

In the one-on-one setting, cornerbacks Kader Kohou and Xavien Howard won reps against Texans receivers Steven Sims and Robert Woods, respectively, with tight coverage. Kohou ran with Sims stride for stride deep to force an incompletion that missed the intended target long, and Howard completely mirrored a Woods comeback route to the sideline, forcing the throw up and away out of Woods’ reach. …

Andrew Van Ginkel, after a strong showing in pass coverage Wednesday, allowed a touchdown from quarterback E.J. Perry to running back Mike Boone.

Safety Jevon Holland made the defensive play of practice with a deep interception of Texans rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud, and Holland showed his range covering to the sideline. He also was in the vicinity of a forced fumble on the final play of a Texans two-minute drill to wrap up practice, although linebacker Duke Riley may have forced it. It’s uncertain who will be started next to Holland as the other safety, but he could star in his role in defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s scheme.

Cornerback Noah Igbinoghene has had some moments and flashes in training camp with at least a couple of interceptions, but he was significantly beat deep on a go route by Collins in one-on-ones when he showed no signs of recovery speed. After one play in 11-on-11, he was pulled, although that may have been to switch out of the nickel into a base package, and other cornerbacks, including Apple and rookie Cam Smith in a red, non-contact jersey were given a chance in his spot.

Aside from Armstead and Pili, wide receiver Jaylen Waddle was held out for the second consecutive joint practice in Houston with his midsection injury. …

Smith saw action in team drills with his red jersey after he was limited to individual drills Wednesday. …

Left guard Liam Eichenberg saw one-on-one reps but none in a team setting after only working out on the side Wednesday. Running back Myles Gaskin was again seen working off to the side. …

Safety Brandon Jones did not practice again as coach Mike McDaniel said he hasn’t had any setback with the knee rehab. Others not seen in drills were fullback Alec Ingold, cornerbacks Keion Crossen and Justin Bethel, wide receiver Braylon Sanders and, of course, cornerback Jalen Ramsey. …

Cornerback Nik Needham (Achilles) and tight end Tanner Conner (undisclosed) remain on the physically-unable-to-perform list.

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